Almost all pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with their animal companion or companions. There are times when the pets themselves prove to be more sweet and compassionate than some people are.

So here we have Bill – a lurcher-breed dog from London who’s been imitating his injured owner’s limp out of sympathy.

Recently, Facebook user Russell Jones posted a video online capturing his dog, Bill, doing the most adorable and hilarious thing – Bill imitating his owner’s behavior while walking beside him. The video went viral in a few days and racked up almost 11k reactions and 26k shares.

According to the website Cesar’s Way, “There are a number of different creatures that imitate others within their own species. People imitate other people. Birds imitate other birds. Non-human primates like monkeys and apes imitate others in their group.”

“But dogs not only imitate other dogs—they copy what we do as well. What’s even crazier is that they have been known to do so even when the imitation doesn’t benefit them,” Cesar’s Way explains on their webpage.

But why do dogs imitate our behavior? “Experts think that dogs’ tendency to copy us came about through thousands of years of selective breeding and training. Over time, it grew to become a built-in reaction,” the website also stated.

Now, in the video, we can see that the owner Russell, whose leg had been placed in a plaster cast, walking the street with his dog, Bill. The lurcher-breed is seen walking with his paw raised above the ground in order to copy his owner’s limp.

“Cost me £300 in vet fees and X-rays, nothing wrong, just sympathy. Love him,” Russell wrote in the description of his Facebook post.

The Facebook post went viral and got thousands of reactions and shares. In the comments section, other Facebook users also share some instances where their dogs imitate other people. The comments include;

“My uncle got a bad constant cough, and his dog started coughing all the time too. So they took the dog to the vet they said hers perfectly fine and just copying him. Lol”, one said in the comment section.

“My dad walks with a limp cos of ALS and I noticed my staff pulls on her head out of excitement but when my dad walks her she matches his speed and watches him closely as we walk she doesn’t pull him at all dogs are so loyal”, another one said in the comment section.

Since time immemorial, dogs are considered as “Man’s best friend”. It is a companion that will never betray its master or owner. From helping the hunt for food to walking beside its blind owner, this is what a man’s best friend can do.

Here we have an example of a companion who is not making fun of his owner, but making him feel he sympathizes with his owner because he is his best friend.

Make sure to watch the adorable video of Russell and his dog Bill below.

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Source: Bored Panda